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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27909703">I Do</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/snacc_noir/pseuds/snacc_noir'>snacc_noir</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Partners in Crime, Sexual Tension, oh goodness what could happen, they gang up to ruin the wedding... together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:47:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27909703</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/snacc_noir/pseuds/snacc_noir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette had learnt long ago that her life wasn't hers to control, so an arranged marriage with Gabriel Agreste's son was of no surprise.</p><p>But turns out, Adrien was a little more interesting than she thought.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>142</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Do</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soap_Lady/gifts">Soap_Lady</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>soap-lady asked:</p><p>AU where Tom dies and Sabine marries someone of her family's choosing. Gabriel wants to improve business in Taiwan and decides the best way to form an alliance is to have his son date his prospective business partner's daughter, Marinette Lin.</p><p>(are her ideas the coolest or what)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’s attractive, she’ll give him that.</p><p>Any youth to Marinette’s posture resides from an ache in her shoulders as Wayne Lin eye-stabs her to push them back more - a treasured look offered only by her stepfather on the rare occasion he isn’t folding company cards in Taiwan.      </p><p>If only her mother were allowed to come and stand beside her in the Agreste mansion to watch her live her own fate: meeting a guy whom she has no feelings for – her future spouse – out of families’ urge for business conciliation.  </p><p>Except Marinette <em>Lin</em> has no late husband, or any clue what she’s doing here.</p><p>She just has a job to do.</p><p>Emerging from childhood pressed face to the reality that ‘marriage’ is just a sugary word for ‘business transaction’. <em>Lin Industries</em> and <em>Gabriel</em> would soon merge forces, glam for the press, have their titles in the tabloids –</p><p>Through their children’s marriage.</p><p>Yes, Adrien Agreste has a nice face; he’s a <em>model</em>. He’s been flaunted in tumultuous magazines with poses <em>just-</em>so to have any pathetic teen girl collapsing, so Marinette’s prepared to be stuck with an overtly rich and entitled ‘Vogue Golden Boy’. She hates the situation in a way that pacifies her into a clean grin and accepting nods, because she’s stuck, so in the end does it really matter?</p><p>“I expect your best behaviour. You’ve already agreed to this, remember?”</p><p>She scoffs. Like she had a <em>choice</em>.</p><p>Her indifference had deepened to match the mansion. “You would think an owner of a creative industry would understand the term ‘house décor’.”</p><p>“<em>Marinette</em>-”</p><p>Her snark smooths as Gabriel himself enters, alone. He speaks sternly, holds their gazes intensely, and has a posture her stepdad surely notes to nag her about later to replicate next time. They’ve met before – she’s been approved, been there, hated that – but isn’t she here for <em>Adrien</em>?</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Oh, okay.</p><p><em>That’s</em> him, is it?</p><p>She doesn’t <em>mean</em> to be glaring as the boy steps out – Adrien, whose face is raw in disappointment as though trying to take her throne in not wanting to be here.  </p><p>They meet eyes, greyish to the touch, disdainful in the delivery.  </p><p>She decides that she does not like Adrien.</p><p>And by the way his lip presses as he strides beside his father, he doesn’t appear to like her either. But she understands. After all, she’s seizing his public freedom with other women.  </p><p>He reaches out his hand. She’s slow to take it.</p><p>“Marinette– Is it Dupain-Cheng, or Lin?”</p><p>It’s a dig at her forced name-change, she’s sure of it. “Lin.”</p><p>“Marinette Lin. It’s a pleasure.”</p><p>She casts a hidden eyeroll to the side, tempted to mutter, ‘Sure it is’.</p><p>Wayne clears his throat. “We’ll have the media informed of your status soon, but I believe simple arrangements should be decided first. Not to mention the attire.”</p><p>“Of course. We’ll leave these two here to get to know each other better to placate the reporters at public sightings. It’s what’s best if they’re going to get married.”</p><p>On beat, Adrien and Marinette flinch at the word as the men stride away, ushering staff to follow and leaving them alone in the lounge room.</p><p>She has a seat. “Adrien.”</p><p>There’s slight mockery to his voice. “Yes, my lady?”</p><p>She folds her arms over the custom dress. “Cut the act, you obviously don’t want to marry me, while I couldn’t care less. Just tug a few strings with your dad or whatever to get out of this, if you <em>really</em> want to get back to your girl gaggles.”</p><p>His brow pulls like he’s offended by her words. “I don’t think you understand my relationship with my father.”</p><p>“Fine then. Marry me. Whoever you are.” The dark fabric is all sorts of uncomfortable no matter how she adjusts to sit. “But then don’t complain in my ear all day and make me a slave or anything.”</p><p>The boy’s stature stiffens. “How entitled do you think I am?!”</p><p>She faces away, abashed. Her confoundment and headspace of it all (because she’s getting <em>married</em>, remember) caused her to run her mouth and spill what she’s already assumed of his character. And apparently, he doesn’t agree with it.</p><p>“I don’t know,” she rushes. “I don’t know you at all. My apologies.”</p><p>He simmers, pacing out of habit. “No. No I snapped too. I’ve just been arguing all week about this. I haven’t achieved anything.”</p><p>“Understood,” she says quietly.</p><p>There’s a silence.</p><p>His suited self whips to front, his hand jutted out. There’s a softness in his smile and dimples to it that she’s lightly caught of breath by. “Let me start again. I’m Adrien Agreste.”</p><p>“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”</p><p>His brow raises, but he says nothing. He brings her hand and kisses it amidst a bow.</p><p>“Marinette,” a grin far from good-intentioned slips past his wholesome candour, “care to join forces with me in ruining our parents’ plan for us to get married? I heard they’re rather unprepared for any scandal us as a pair could get in…”</p><p>Something light flickers in her chest. She hasn’t embraced excitement or any feeling past passive resentment for a while since her father’s death, and the surprise is striking in all the best ways. It draws her to him and Marinette leaps up, his smile infectious.</p><p>“I would love to, hot stuff.”</p><p>He’s attractive, she’ll give him that.</p>
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